intrigue

[in-treeg, in-treeg, in-treeg]

verb (used with object)

intrigued, intriguing 

1. to arouse the curiosity or interest of by unusual, new, or otherwise fascinating or compelling qualities; appeal strongly to; captivate.

   The plan intrigues me, but I wonder if it will work.

   Synonyms: enthrall, enchant, fascinate, attract, interest

2. to achieve or earn by appealing to another's curiosity, fancy, or interest.

   to intrigue one's way into another's notice.

3. to draw or capture.

   Her interest was intrigued by the strange symbol.

4. to accomplish or force by crafty plotting or underhand machinations.

5. Obsolete.,  to entangle.

6. Obsolete.,  to trick or cheat.

verb (used without object)

intrigued, intriguing 

1. to plot craftily or underhandedly.

   Synonyms: conspire, plot

2. to carry on a secret or illicit love affair.

noun

1. the use of underhand machinations or deceitful stratagems.

   Synonyms: manipulation

2. such a machination or stratagem or a series of them; a plot or crafty dealing.

   political intrigues.

   Synonyms: manipulation

3. a secret or illicit love affair.

4. the series of complications forming the plot of a play.

intrigue

verb

1. (tr) to make interested or curious

   I'm intrigued by this case, Watson

2. (intr) to make secret plots or employ underhand methods; conspire

3. to carry on a clandestine love affair

noun

1. the act or an instance of secret plotting, etc

2. a clandestine love affair

3. the quality of arousing interest or curiosity; beguilement

Other Word Forms

• intriguer noun
• intriguingly adverb
• outintrigue verb (used with object)
• unintriguing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of intrigue¹

First recorded in 1640–50; from French intriguer, from Italian intrigare, from Latin intrīcāre “to entangle”; intricate

Word History and Origins

Origin of intrigue¹

C17: from French intriguer, from Italian intrigare, from Latin intrīcāre; see _intricate

Synonym Study

See conspiracy.

Example Sentences

The name of it, I thought, has always been very intriguing.

From Los Angeles Times

People were invested and intrigued and wanted to know.

From Los Angeles Times

The viral advertisement, which was seen online, on storefronts and posters and across social media, drew intrigue and offence.

From BBC

For his ardent followers, his disappearance holds the same level of intrigue as the 1963 killing of US President John F Kennedy.

From BBC

It definitely wasn’t, except for the minor but intriguing point that in Berkeley almost everyone involved was white.

From Salon

Related Words

• attract 
• captivate 
• charm 
• delight 
• enchant 
• entertain 
• excite 
• fascinate 
• pique 
• please 
• rivet 
• tickle 
• titillate